by The Scorp

The Scorpions handed yet another opponent a get out of jail card on Saturday after falling short by four points to Geelong in a see-saw finish to their round 16 clash at Skilled Stadium.

It was a costly result for Casey as victory would have seen it playing off for a possible top spot next week. Instead, the Scorpions are under pressure to retain a top four placing with all three remaining games to be played against leading premiership contenders.

Beset by the long list of injuries to both VFL and AFL listed players that has ravaged the team in recent weeks, the visitors were determined to continue their recent impressive winning run and were well placed with a narrow lead of 5 points after a close first half battle.

The home team had three seasoned AFL giants in Ottens, Blake and West to throw against a makeshift Scorpion big man division hit by the call up of Jake Spencer to AFL emergency duties and the continuing injury of Tim Mohr who has been outstanding for Casey in the ruck this year.

Young rookie Trent Zomer who came up from the reserves last week took on the job and acquitted himself well against the taller opposition. James Wall and Peter Faulks provided the back up but when you concede height to such a degree then something's got to give and for the first time in weeks an opposition key forward was able to dominate with the Cats' Podsiadly booting six.

Pocket rocket Michael Stockdale, skipper Kyle Matthews and Territorian Pierce Liddle were the best of the small men and with Demon Colin Sylvia they kept Casey in the game despite some costly poor kicking for goal in the third term. Sylvia's three goals were brilliantly directed long bombs and his dynamic play suggested he is ready to step back to AFL action after his 3 week suspension. He finished with 12 kicks, 10 handballs and 1 mark.

The final term was an absolute cracker with Casey bridging the 11 point margin half way through the term and seemingly on its way to victory. A Podsiadly goal regained the lead for the home side but the Scorpions hit the front late in the game with a goal to Sylvia.

Ironically, it was Casey that kicked the winning goal but it was Geelong's VFL player Casey Tutungi who responded by kicking truly and putting his team in the front in the game's dying moments. Zomer had an opportunity from 40 metres out but missed everything with his shot and the ball was heading for the Scorpions' goal when the siren sounded providing a narrow Geelong victory that was mirrored later in the day in the Cats' narrow AFL victory against the Crows.

The defeat will be a bitter pill for Casey to take into the run home but should steel the players as they again take centre stage in a special fixture at Morwell against North Ballarat in Saturday's ABC Match of the Round. The game will celebrate the work of the CFA and Victoria's heroic fire fighters and Peter German will be looking for some similar heroism from his own charges as they prepare for the challenge of the tough month ahead.

Casey Scorpions 3.4.22 8.5.53 9.10.64 14.12.96

Geelong 4.4.28 7.6.48 11.9.75 15.10.100

Goals

Casey Scorpions Sylvia 3 Hughes Waite 2 MacReadie McNamara Matthews Scanlon Silvagni Robertson Zomer

Geelong Podsiadly 6 Westwood 3 Carson Moles Sheringham Smith Tutungi West

Best

Casey Scorpions Stockdale Sylvia Faulks Wall Matthews Liddle

Geelong Podsiadly Moles Tutungi Firman Laidler

The reserves again were so undermanned that six local players had to be found to make up a full complement for the visit to Preston. In the circumstances, the Northern Bullants proved too strong after a closely fought first half. Gus Patti worked tirelessly and Rohan Bail made a courageous return after the death of his mother at the young age of 50 to cancer in Queensland and was among his team's best.

Casey Scorpions 1.2.8 7.5.47 8.5.53 11.7.73

Northern Bullants 7.5.47 7.7.49 15.9.99 20.11.131

Goals

Casey Scorpions Sykes 3 McNamara Singh 2 Bail Costigan Patti Smith

Northern Bullants Higgs Power 3 Gale Prior Spiteri 2 Adams Bannister Cunningham Hill Meese McDermott Saad Stavely

Best

Casey Scorpions Patti Bail Costigan Dearaugo Smith Sykes

Northern Bullants Stavely Higgs Meese Adams Vansittart Spiteri

Esther would be awesome on Dancing with the Stars. She should definitely give it a go.

I thought it was going to say she was missing her cats, as in the animal. I have no idea about AFL.

Esther would be awesome on Dancing with the Stars. She should definitely give it a go.

I thought it was going to say she was missing her cats, as in the animal. I have no idea about AFL.

Full moon tonight, I suppose.